


The Truth—Drabble

by MyShadesAndMyRedConverse



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Just a drabble, im obsessed with protective itachi, the truth comes out, tobis an asshole
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-05
Updated: 2017-07-05
Packaged: 2018-11-23 14:45:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11404611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyShadesAndMyRedConverse/pseuds/MyShadesAndMyRedConverse
Summary: Just a small drabble about if Itachi slipped up and Tobi decided to spill his secret to sasuke before the fight.





	The Truth—Drabble

Deidara charged towards the young Uchiha, Sasuke cooly drawing his sword, eyes closed as the blond started towards him. He wasn't worried at all, sure that he could kill this nuisance easily, but suddenly, as his cloak billowed from his speed, a figure appeared between them. Itachi's gaze was fierce, though his body language was calm as ever, his hand propped up by his cloak as he stood there. Sasuke's expression changed to shock, his sword still half sheathed as his eyes snapped open and he stared at the back of his brothers head. "Leave him." Itachi said simply, his voice strong and powerful.

Though Deidara didn't shy away. "Tch, getting sentimental now, Itachi? That's not like you. Out of the way, I gotta kill this kid now after he took Orochimaru's death from me, yeah." He scoffed, putting a hand on his hip. Sasuke didn't interfere, keeping as cool a head as he could as his brother defended him. "I can't let you interfere now. This isn't a fight you'll win. Stand down, Deidara." Itachi continued. The younger Uchiha was becoming impatient, unable to take in the situation with a clear head. It didn't make sense.

"Chidori stream." He huffed, Itachi easily avoiding the wave of electrified chakra, jumping from range as Deidara yelped and fell to his knees, not nearly fast enough to avoid the attack. "D-damn brat!" The blond growled, doubling over in pain as he gasped for air. He couldn't move, but his gaze stayed on Sasuke, glaring. The young Uchiha was unphased, blankly staring right back. "I couldn't care less about you. He's the only one I want." Sasuke stated, punctuating it by fully drawing his blade and pointing it at Itachi who stood just out of range of the stream, still in sight.

"W-with how he's defending you, it seems l-like it's more complicated than I first thought. If he doesn't kill you, w-watch your back, kid!" Deidara declared, fleeing the moment Sasuke let up on his jutsu. The moment he was gone, Sasuke turned his body to Itachi, still pointing his sword at the man. "You protected me... Why?" He asked, the question strong in his mind. Itachi stayed silent, only staring at his younger brother and only infuriating him. "You did! You protected me... Are you that adamant on killing me? That you're willing to protect me from any other?" He asked, more irritated. It wasn't even that he needed protecting, so why did Itachi do it?

For Itachi, truthfully it had been a slip up. A knee jerk reaction that he didn't process long enough to stop himself. When it was just him and Kisame dealing with his kid brother it was easier to catch himself, but with Deidara being impulsive like that, he had no time to think before acting. He let Sasuke's question hang in the air and nag at the boy, seeing him bristle in anger. "You lost the right to protect me a long time ago, and I don't need it anyway." He finally resolved, not caring anymore why Itachi did it. It was probably another mind game that he was playing on Sasuke, confusing him, keeping him distracted.

But he wouldn't fall for it, not ever.

Nodding to himself he took in a deep breath before slipping into a fighting stance, starting towards his brother. He'd worked for this for so long, lost everything, gave up everything he had for this moment. He was finally strong enough to fight Itachi and he wouldn't let him slip away from his grasp. Today was the day. Sasuke was closing in on his brother who made no attempt to move, gripping his blade and ready to throw a precise hit to his shoulder, when a voice suddenly called out.

"Oi, Itachi!" Tobi hummed, perched on a tree branch and swinging his legs. Sasuke stopped just short of meeting his mark, taking a few steps back too to ensure that he wasn't too close for a melee attack. "Senpai is really heated up now don't you think?" He asked, Itachi not even turning his head to acknowledge his fellow member, so neither did Sasuke. "But Itachi, why don't you just tell him the truth? About that night? How you sacrificed your clan to save your little brother." He continued, Sasuke keeping his face stone as he heard this. What was this? Who was he and how did he know anything about what happened that night.

"He only gave you two choices if I recall correctly. Let the whole clan die because of that coup your father enacted, including your little brother, or kill the clan yourself and let him survive. And your parents were still so proud of you to the end for protecting him, I remember the way they praised you before you—"

"Stop." Itachi finally snapped, his jaw tightening in pain. His hands were curled into fists and Sasuke for once could see the emotion on his brother's face. He saw hurt and anguish, he saw regret. "You've wasted my time long enough, Tobi. Go tend to Deidara." He said, his facial features smoothing out as he spoke and his hands going limp. Tobi wordlessly left them both. He hoped that Tobi's words hadn't swayed his brother, but he could already see Sasuke faltering, obviously unable to make sense of the new information. The teen didn't know if it was real, what the masked man was saying, or if this was just a big lie to confuse him.

But why? Why lie now and make himself out to be a hero, especially since Itachi didn't seem to happy that Tobi was sharing this information in the first place. He couldn't figure it out. "Is... Is that true?" He asked, his hate and anger dampened by the question of what his brother's motives really were. But, if he did it to save Sasuke, if their parents had encouraged him to the very end, then it changed things, whether either of them liked it or not. Itachi hesitated to answer before he forced his gaze to be menacing. "Foolish brother, I've told you before, I only played the part of a kind older brother to test your vessel. My intentions were my own decision and no one else's." He mused, planting the seed once again that would motivate Sasuke to kill him.

Still though, the younger Uchiha's eyebrows furrowed, seeing the lie for the first time. When he was younger he couldn't have been able to tell, he was too scared and traumatised to see the false words he was fed. And then he was so blinded by hatred and rage that he still couldn't see. But now that there was doubt in his mind, when he heard Itachi's cold words, they sounded fake, without weight to them, and he took a few more steps back. "L-liar. You're lying!" He gasped, his hands dangling at both sides, still clutching his blade. "You've always been lying." He said, quieter this time.

"Sasuke—" Itachi started, only to immediately be silenced by His brother. "No! What... What was all this for then?Why did you torment me? Why did you make yourself the villain?" He asked, desperate to know the truth now. He had to know everything. Itachi stayed quiet for a moment longer before sighing. It was already too late to turn back now. He had no choice at this point. "Because I didn't want to live with what I had done. And you deserved to enact your revenge on the person who did this to you. I thought, if you saw me that way, you could kill me and gain satisfaction from it, and I would pay for my sins." He admitted.

Outraged, Sasuke's sword clattered to the ground as he ran at Itachi, tackling them both to the ground as the younger brother sat on top of the elder. He threw punches at Itachi, his breath ragged as he barely exerted the effort. "I lost everything! I gave up everything I had because of you! And for what? Because you wanted to be punished by my hand? Because you didn't want to have to suffer for what you had done? Well what about me? I didn't have a family for so long when I could have had you, instead of hating you! Dammit, Itachi." He shouted, completely losing his usual composure. His punches softened before they flat out stopped and Itachi slipped out from under Sasuke and stood up, the younger brother following suit.

His bawled fists loosened and his eyes unfocused, emotionally unable to handle the situation. He'd been hyping himself up for years to kill his brother, all for nothing. Itachi sighed and took Sasuke's wrist, pulling him closer. His other arm wrapped around him and held him there, staying in the close embrace. "You're alright, little brother." He hummed, Sasuke still frozen in place, his weight leaned against Itachi. Suddenly, a resonating cough began wracking Itachi's body, turning his head away from Sasuke as he hacked. Sasuke's hand gripped at Itachi's shoulder in shock, feeling his body rattle weakly from just a cough.

"Are you?" Sasuke finally retorted when Itachi caught his breath, wheezing softly as his chest rose and fell sharply. Swallowing hard, Itachi shook his head. "No. I'm ill. Today was suppose to be the last day I drew breath. I've been using medicine to keep me alive for this day." Itachi said, his voice calm and reserved, obviously having accepted his fate long, long ago. Sasuke's heart seized and what once was a heartless and cold hate he felt for his brother was now edging worry, fear that his brother wasn't going to survive. Itachi began to chuckle, making Sasuke back away and look at his slightly amused face, furrowing his eyebrows in question.

"You can change your feelings for me that fast, little brother?" He mused, seeing the way Sasuke looked him over, as if to find the sickness visible on him so he could do away with it. "It's my karma, for what I did to our family, to you. If I didn't die by your hand, I should die a slow, painful death." He muttered. Anger welled up in Sasuke and he shoved Itachi back, standing tall in front of him. "Quit feeling sorry for yourself. It's pathetic. You go out looking for punishment when you've been torturing yourself for years all by yourself, haven't you?" He snapped, not able to accept this version of Itachi. It was weak and he didn't think he could ever perceive his brother like that, ever.

"You felt my life was precious enough to spare me that night, so now, I see your life as precious too. Itachi, I see you for the kind brother you really are." He said, kneeling down to pick up his sword and sheath it. "And now, I vow to take revenge on the leaf village, who are the true culprit for our clans demise." He stated, Itachi frowning and grabbing Sasuke's shoulder. "Foolish brother, what to you think you'll gain from that? Taking down a whole village? You have friends there, people you care about."

"I have no one in the leaf village. I cut all ties to become as powerful as I could become, and now that I know the truth I'm going to use it for something, with or without your help." He replied cool, nudging Itachi's hand away and turning to leave. "Just don't get in my way." He added before moving to leave.


End file.
